How To - Dye Your Hair

This is a basic guide for dyeing your hair using semi-permanent hair dyes.  Please always check manufacturers instructions before using any hair dye.

What you will need:
Hair Dye 
Tint Bowl 
Tint Brush 
Tail / Sectioning Comb
Hair Clips
Plastic/Latex Gloves
Old Clothes / Towels 
An Extra Pair of Hands if Possible

 

It is not always necessary to bleach your hair before using these semi-permanent hair dyes as some colours may show up on unbleached hair or give a sheen/glow to the hair, however for a really good vibrant colour it is recommend these dyes be used on lightened or naturally pale hair. Yellow or Orange tones in hair can often be neutralised using toner (see under How To...Use Toners section).

Don't use the same tint bowl, tint brush, gloves etc for dyeing hair that you used for bleaching your hair.  Plastic containers can often retain residue of their previous contents and therefore you would be trying to apply dye to your hair that has faint traces of bleach in it, this can cause the dye not to stick and streaky/patchy areas. 

Skin Patch/Sensitivity Testing is highly recommended before using these products and, as with all hair dyes, if a reaction occurs rinse off immediately and discontinue use. Stand Testing is also advised as this will give indication of colour result and brand suitability. More information on Strand / Sensitivity Tests can be found on under the How To section.

Please view our Hair Dye Hints & Tips section for ideas on making colour last to removing dye stains from sinks! 

Semi-permanent hair dyes are not permanent and therefore should not damage your hair however always try a strand and sensitivity test before use.

 

 

Choosing A Semi-Permanent Hair Dye:

There are many semi-permanent hair dyes on the market, however the most popular and longest lasting tend to be Special Effects, Pravana & Manic Panic. Both of these last approx 3-6 weeks depending on hair type, colour, porosity etc although as a general rule blue based tones tend to last a shorter period of time than red based ones, with some colours such as Atomic Pink being known to last for much longer than 6 weeks in many people (mines personally lasts upwards of 12 weeks and I only re-do when the roots are bad). 

Semi-Permanent Hair Dyes such as Special Effects and Manic Panic can be mixed to create unique colours e.g.. Special Effects Atomic Pink & Napalm Orange give a very bright pink with orange undertones which is quite striking. On the other hand you can 'dilute' these dyes using conditioner or the relevant toner/mixer to give a more pastel shade.

It is worthwhile taking a look in our Hair Dye Gallery to see actual hair dye results on others to help you decide which colours you would like to try.  

 

Using A Semi-Permanent Hair Dye:

Do NOT use these type of Semi Permanent hair dyes on hair that has recently been conditioned as conditioner coats the hair and can stop the dye from sticking! If you are using a hairdresser to apply these dyes please make them aware of this.

Step by step instructions for each brand/type of dye can be seen in our Hair Dye Instructions section and on each bottle/tub of dye. 

When re-dyeing your hair you are best re-applying the semi-permanent hair dye to all previously dyed areas as this will give your hair a top-up of colour all over.

If, like me, you have some normal colour hair and some dyed you can apply the dye to the coloured areas only or you can apply it to your whole head.  This uses more dye but may give your hair an all over sheen of colour as well as brightening up the already coloured areas.

For hints and tips on maintaining hair colour please see under our Hair Dye Hints & Tips Section 

 
 

The information given on this site has been from our own personal use, our customers feedback and various websites and forums. Beeunique are not trained hairdressers or professionals and as such we cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of all the information in this section and tips etc should be used with caution. What works for one person may not necessarily work for another and if you are in any doubt about a procedure it is recommend you contact a hairdresser or other trained professional first.